Cord-spacing device



March' 31, 1925. 1,531,689

M. CASTRICUM com) sPAoINe DEVICE Filedllune 16. 1924 INVENTOR fi I Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN cesrmcum, or SPRINGFIELD, msssscnosn'rrs, AssIeNoR To THE rrsx" RUBBER COMPANY, or cnrcornn FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, a oonronarlon or MASSACHUSETTS.

CORD-SPACING DEVICE.

Application filed June 18, 1924. Serial No. 720,194.

.residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Cord-Spacing Device, of which the following is a specification.

posed of crossed links 10 In the handling of parallel unconnected cords it has been customary to provide as a spacing device a comb constructed in the manner of a lazy-tongs, so that the spacing of the cords may be varied as desired by changing the degree of extension of the tongs structure. For certain uses of such devices, particularly in the handling of cords for the production of the combination of rubber and unwoven cords known as weftless cord fabric, the existing adjustable spacing devices are not sufliciently-accurate. In this so-called weftless fabric the cords are usually somewhat separated, and they there fore do not derive lateral support from each other as they do for example in ordinary warp-handling machinery. For this reason, and because of the accuracy required in the production of weftless fabric, improvementsin the heretofore proposed devices have become desirable, which it is the purpose of this invention to supply.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan of an adjustable comb constructed according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan thereof, turned at right angles to Fig. 1 and illus trating the passage of cords therethrough;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation corresponding to Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a collar appearing in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a side view thereof.

The comb is carried on a framework compivoted together at points 11 and also at their central points of intersection so as to form a lazy-tongs structure. Suitable nuts secured concentric with certain of the central pivots, but not shown on the drawings, engage separate threaded portions on a shaft 12 extending the entire width of the comb. This shaft is secured in a base plate 13 w 'ch also serves to guide the tongs structure 1ts expanding and contracting movement. The pitchof the threaded portions of the shaft vary with their distance from the center so that the various portions of the tongs are given the proper proportional movements. Details of the device so far described need not be given since such devices are well known in the art.

Mounted on each of the links 10 of one of the two parallel series which go to make up the tongs structure (Fig. 1) are combcarrying bars 14, each carrying a series of equally spaced pins 15 between which the cords 16 pass. The spacing of the pins on the successive bars is such that the first pin on abar is on the same line, drawn parallel to the travel of the cords, upon which would be the pin beyond the last, were such a pin placed on the bar just previous in order. This is shown in Fig. 2 where the pin 15", the initial one on bar 14, is spaced, at right angles to the line of travel of the cords, one cord space from pin 15, the last one on bar 14 It will be apparent from Fig. 2 that in passing between the pins the cords 16 are deflected in their path, and are caused to bear constantly on one side of a pin. This insures a constant and accurate positioning of the cords. In the deflection of the cords they pass b one side of a pin and by the other side f the next succeeding pin, receiving in this passage a momentary reverse curvature.- That cord 16 which would normally pass by on the right of pin 15, however, meets with no succeeding pin to impart to it this reverse curvature, and a misalignment would result were no measures taken to correct 1t. The means wh1ch I have adopted to correct this .error will now be of the series on bar 14, is made shorter than the others, so that cord 16, which is elevated by the collar 17 will pass over its top. It will be observed that the cords after having made their reverse curve around he pins are, in the osition of adjustment shown, in substantial alignment ,with the center of the in with which they first contacted. By the described special arrangement of the pins guiding the cord 16 the latter will pass pin 15 in substantial alignment with its center, and will therefore he in proper spaced relation to the other cords. Thepins 15 and 15 act With relation to those cords adjacent to cord 16 in a manner similar to the other pins.

lhe described construction is repeated on each 01" the bars 14, and gives an expanding comb in Which the cords are equally and uniformly spaced irrespective of the condition of adjustment of the comb. Bunching and irregular spacing of cords in the rubberized sheet may by this means be com pletely eliminated. v

Having thus described my invention, I claim: J

1. A comb structure for guiding a series of parallel cords comprising a series of pinsupporting bars arranged parallel'to each other but at an angle to the path of travel of the cords, and a series of pins upon each bar, the pins of the several bars being spaced substantially evenly along lines parallel to thepathoftravel of the cords; the initial pin on each bar being provided with means forraising a cord above the rest, and the final pin on each bar being made short'to permit a cord so raised to travel over it.

2/ An expanding comb structure comprising a lazy-tongs, means for expanding or contracting the lazy-tongs, and pins carried by the members of one'p'arallel series'oi' links forming the lazy-tongs; the pins as an entire series being spaced substantially evenly as referred to lines drawn through their centers parallel to the path of travel of the cords, the initial pin on each link being provided with means for raising a cord above the rest, and the final pin on each link being made short topermit a. cord so raised totravel over it; whereby a unifornr spacing of cords is obtained in any position of adjustment of the comb.

MARTIN CASTRICUM. 

